BASE-JUMP: BARCROFT MEDIA/GETTY; KANGAROO: CAROLYN HEBBARD/GETTY; QUOLL: CAROLYN HEBBARD/GETTY/
Dasyurus viverrinusWhy do kangaroos have such long eyelashes?
NATALIE SMART, PERTH, WAGUILLERMO J. AMADOR,
AT THE WOODRUFF SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
AT THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, SAYS:
Kangaroo eyelashes are not particularly long. They are about the same
relative length as our own, at about one-third the width of the eye. But
most people only have one row of eyelashes. However – similar to Elizabeth
Taylor – kangaroos possess several rows, which make them appear fuller and more
noticeable. By having a dense array of eyelashes, kangaroos, as well as other desert-dwelling
animals, protect their eyes from arid and dusty environments. Making eyelashes denser
protects eyes much better than making them longer. Scientists have found that eyelashes that
are too long will funnel more air and dust into the eye.You had lots to say on social
media about the successful
eastern quoll breeding program
operating in the Blue
Mountains, NSW.They have been spotted in
the Otways and are breeding
at Serendip Sanctuary in
Victoria. Go quolls.
TERRI COLLIVERWild dog and feral cat numbers
will have to be controlled fi rst if
the quoll is to survive.
MAUREEN DONNELLYSaw them a lot when we
lived in Tassie – have never
seen one up here on the
mainland.
KARLENE BEAHANMate, they are bloody hard to
fi nd in Tassie. I tried for two
weeks! Devils too.
BRANDON PIKELovely photo. They are
supposed to be plentiful in
Tasmania, but I haven’t seen
them in the area that I go to
on the east coast for a long
time. Once they were so
plentiful they were living
under the shack.
MARGARET GODFREYLove these fascinating creatures!
TERRY TAYLOR OSBORNEGET INVOLVED IN
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Do wingsuit fl yers and BASE-jumpers get tired arms from holding them out
with enough force to keep the wings of their suits in place?
JOHN THWAITE, VIA EMAILPAUL TOZER,
CAMERAMAN AND WINGSUIT FLYER, WHO ACCOMPANIED HEATHER SWAN
AND GLENN SINGLEMAN ACROSS THE GRAND CANYON (AG 127), SAYS:
We do a fair bit of specifi c stamina and strength training to fl y – mainly back, arms, and, of
course, shoulders. Having said that, however, the suits don’t require a muscled fl yer; they
infl ate via small inlet holes, creating a semi-rigid soft wing. They feel a little like a half-defl ated
air mattress. The speed of our fl ight keeps wind fl owing into the suits, which keeps them
infl ated while we are in freefall. This is what allows us to fl y for so long. On a training jump
in California, we fl ew for more than six minutes before opening our chutes – that fl ight made
the old shoulders burn a bit.ASK AN EXPERT GOT A
QUESTION FOR
AN EXPERT?
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